A former College lecturer has died peacefully at his home following a long illness aged 85.

Dr Ivan Hodbod was born in Bury, just before the outbreak of the second World War was the eldest of four children to parents who had emigrated from what was then Czechoslovakia.

Sadly, his mother died when he was 12-years-old, leaving him and his other siblings to assist his father raising the family with the help of Beatrice Roberts.

He went on to do well at grammar school, eventually completing a PhD in Metallurgy at the University of Mancherster Institute of Science and Technology.

This led to a career with British Steel until the company began transferring production abroad. 

Not wanting to leave this country he became a civil servant, commuting into London. 

Due his his love of the northern hills he led walking parties along the Pennine Way and it was when training as a leader that he met a fellow party leader, his future wife Marjorie, with whom he had two sons. 

He had lived for the past 30 years in Simonstone, near Burnley.

Bury Times:

A message from the family read: “A longing to be back in the hilly landscape of the North West led to the couple buying a town convenience store, before Ivan went on to teach at Burnley College for twenty years.

“He was a family man that had a lifelong enjoyment of cycling who was a keen gardener with a passion for wild plants too. He will be sorely missed.”

Ivan died on June 13, and leaves his wife Marjorie and two sons, Geoff and Alex. 

Mr Hodbod’s funeral will be held on July 4 at 12.40pm at St John’s Church, Read, after which friends are invited to join the family at the Stork Hotel, Simonstone.  The funeral will take place at 1.45pm at Burnley Crematorium.

No flowers are requested, but donations in memory of Ivan, if desired, can be made to Friends of Whalley Abbey or Crossroads Care c/o Bertwistle’s Funeral Service, 46 Burnley Road, Padiham, Burnley, BB12 8BN.